Ultrasonic inspection device



July 6, 1954 H. E. VAN VALKENBURG 2,682,766

ULTRAsoNIc INSPECTION DEVICE Filed Aug. 17, 195o FIG.I

FIG. 2

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l aluminum, steel and brass.

Patented July 6, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ULTRASONIC INSPECTION DEVICE Howard E. Van Valkenburg, Danbury, Conn., as-

signor to SperryProducts, Inc., Danbury, Conn., a corporation of New York ApplicationAugust 17, 1950, Serial No. 179,975

This invention relates to the ultrasonic inspection of materials by transmitting ultrasonic pulses therein and indicating on a cathode ray tube the presence of reflecting surfaces therein.

More particularly this invention relates to the" type of ultrasonic inspection in which an extended coupling medium is employed between the pulse transmitter and the object to be inspected. Such extended medium is useful when testing an object for defects lying close to the surface, for testing curved surfaces, rough surfaces and thin sections, and in automatic scanning and inspection of sheet. Coupling mediums employed for this purpose include liquids such as oil, water and mercury, attenuating solids such as plastics and lead, and metals such as Non-liquid mediums usually require a thin liquid layerv between the medium and the object.

To prevent spurious signals due to multiple echoes in the couplant, the pulse delay introduced by the extended coupling medium must be great compared to the pulse delay for the depth to be tested in the material under inspection. Because of this large ratio of coupling medium Vto depth of material to beY tested, a small percentage variation in the medium may cause a large shift in the position of the desired echoes on the cathode ray tube screen. Such variations may result from high temperature of coefficient of vvelocity in the coupling materials, or from mechanical shifts' in vspacing between the pulse transmitter and the object under test. Thus, in the practice heretofore employed where the cathode ray tube sweep indicated the time interval I ularly true of defects lying close to the entering surface of the object. A small percentage variation between the time of transmission of the pulse and the receipt of the first reflection would thus introduce a large error in the position of the first reflection, and since the first f reflection serves as thevindex for the second reflection, the result would be a varying index requiring repeated calibration and preventing rapid determination of the condition of a large number of similar articles in mass production.

3 Claims. (Cl. 73-67) sequent reections are related.

This is true particularly in the case where a curved or other irregular surface is scanned, in which case the index would shift continuously.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide a means for insuring a fixed position on the sweep for the first reflection which serves as the index to which sub- Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent in the following detailed description thereof.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is an electricblock wiring diagram illustrating one form of'my invention employing a pluralityv of transducers.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing another form of my invention employing a single transducer.

Fig. 3 is a graph illustrating the theory of this invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a synvchronizer I0 which may be periodically energized, as from a 60 cycle A. C. source, to periodically trigger a pulse generator ll. The pulses thus generated periodically are applied to an electro-acoustic transducer I2 which transforms the electrical vibrations into mechanical vibrations. The transducer l2 may be a quartz crystal immersed in a liquid I5 in a tank I6 within linspected for flaws.

- 22 of ythe object and from any internal reflecting i surfaces such as defect 23. The voltages generated by crystal I2 may be amplied by amplier 26 whose output is applied to the vertical plates 2l of a cathode ray tube 30 to produce vertical deviations in a horizontal sweep between y horizontal plates 28.

Heretofore it was customary to trigger the sweep simultaneously with the generation of the pulse by the pulse generator Il, so that there appeared on the cathode ray tube screen the deviation corresponding to the pulse generation, the

' vdeviations corresponding to the reections from tioning of the reflection indications due to variations in the relatively long coupling medium.

dex regardless of the changes in the medium.v

between the transmitter and theobject.,

In order to accomplish the foregoing result I provide in the Fig. 1 formv a second electro' acoustic transducer 35 which mayv be a quartz crystal positioned adjacent crystal I2. The

original pulse transmitted bycrystallzishighlydirectional because of its high frequency and will have little eiect on crystal 35. Thel return of the first reflection from surface 2l will, however, be received by both crystals, and theA voltage'generatedrbyr crystal 35,- after-being amplied by amplier 36, will energize a sweep trigger 31 to trip the sweep generator 38; Thusthe sweep is synchronized with the reception of the iirstreiiection from the object under test to provide a fixed index.

Multiple triggering of the sweep circuit is prevented by making the recovery time of the sweepgeneratorI long compared with the first few subsequent reflections which will be rapidly attenuated.

In the Fig. 2 form of the invention, a single crystal l2 may beutilized to'perform the'fun'ctions of transmitting and receiving pulses and starting' the sweep insynchronism with thereception of the firstvreection. As in Fig. 1the synchronizer I periodically energizespulsegenerator H to apply pulses to the crystal l2 which transmits the pulses and receives reections thereofA from the object 20. 'Ihe signalvoltages on crystal I2 are amplified by receiver amplifier 26 and applied'tothe vertical plates 21 of cathode ray tube 30. Inv order to'trigger the sweep in synchronismfwith the reception lby crystal l2 of the rst reflection'from object 20; a delay in energizing sweep generator 38 is introduced by means of a coincidence gate circuit 40 which will not energize the sweepgenerator until two positive voltages are applied simultaneously. The synchronizer l0 periodically applies a negative voltage signal to gate `circuit 40 of a duration at least as long as the generated pulse, butV the end of the negative signalfwill not render circuit 40 conductive untila second positive: voltage signalv is received thereby. This second positive signal will be generated when the first reection from object 20 is received by crystal l2, and the output from amplifier 26 is applied to circuit 40. Thus, referrirrgto Fig. 3it will be seen that the negative pulse 4I applied to gate circuit4 40 prevents the gate circuit from becoming eiiective until after the transmission of pulse P has ended. The end of negative pulse 4l causes the gate circuit to return to positive condition, as indicated at 42; but it is not until the receipt' of the rst reection Rl from surface 2| that the gate circuit will energize th'e sweep generator. Thereupon, reections Rl, R2 and R3 corresponding tol face 2|, defect 2-3 and face 22 willbe received.

Having described my invention, what Iclaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A pulse echo system for inspecting objects,

comprising means for generating electrical pulses of ultrasonic frequency, electro-acoustic transducer means energized by said pulse generating means for transmitting ultrasonic pulses to the object through a coupling medium and receiving reections of said pulses, an amplier connected to said transmitting and receiving means, an1indicator actuated" by the output voltages of said amplifier, said indicator-comprising a cathode ray tube having vertical and horizontal sets of plates, a sweep circuit for establishing a sweep betweenone set of plates, said amplier being connected to the other set of plates, and means actuatedbyth'e'return of the first reflection from said': object" forl rendering said sweep circuit effective'.Y

2. Aipulseecho. system for inspecting objects, comprising means for generating electrical pulses off vultrasonic frequency, an electro-acoustic transducer energized by said pulse generating meansto transmit'. ultrasonic pulses to the'object through a coupling'medium and tofreceive reections of said.pulses,.an indicator actuated byl the signal voltages of `said transducer, said indicator comprising a cathode ray tube having vertical and horizontal sets of plates, a sweep circuit for establishing'a sweep betweenfone set of plates, receiver; means connected'to said-transducer andfto the otherset of plates for applying the signalvoltagesof-said transducer to the other set of plates,.andawsecondelectro-acoustic transducer connected.: to theA sweepfcircuit and energized by the return of the'first pulse reflection from said object, whereby the energization of said second transducer: renders said` indicator eiective.

3.1 A pulse echo -system for inspectingi objects, comprising a vsynchronizer adapted-tube periodically energized to generatea signal, means energized by thesignalsffrom said synchronizer for generating; electricalpulses of ultrasonic frequency, an.l electra-acoustic transducer energized bysaid-pulse generatingl means-to transmit ultrasonic' pulses tothe Vobject through acoupling mediumiandto-receivereections of said pulses, an

plifier; means whereby ther-synchronizer applies anegative voltageto Vthe gate circuit for a period at least equal toY thel generation of eachV ultrasonic: pulse, said gate circuit rendering said sweep circuit effective when theV negative voltage ends and'a-` positiveivoltage-is applied to the gate circuit' by the amplifier.

References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,972,889 Hayes Sept. l1, 1934 2,280,226 Firestone Apr. 2l, 1942 2,467,301 Firestone Apr. 12, 1949 2,483,821 Firestone Oct. 4, 1949 2,489,860 Carlin Nov. 29, 1949 

